> So here is my dilemma... I have a 360FE engine in an old truck I
> "inherited". The truck's actually in reasonably good shape for being 33
> years old so I want to get the engine back to running order with
> minimal fuss.
Ralph, given all the problems you've outlined ... I'd have to say either go
the whole route & rebuild the engine, or else find a good used engine in a
junkyard and drop that in. Junkyard parts are always a gamble, but last
time I bought one it cost less than just gaskets, bearings and rings to do
an overhaul. Worked very well for many years, too.
> I guess it's a testament to this engine though, that with bad compression
> (and some oil-coated plugs), a shot distributor, seriously messed
> up carb,
> vacuum lines with holes in them (PCV was stuck too), oiled-down coolant,
> carbon and gunk a half inch thick in the heads, exhaust manifolds not
> sealed against the heads, and gas a year old in the tank, the thing still
> ran. Not well, but it ran. That makes me optimistic that with a little
> money and patience I should get a strong runner out of it.
One of the advantages of starting with a huge engine ... even if it's down
80% on power it can still pull a load. Try that with 4-banger "98 hp
weakling" and it won't pull itself.
Randall
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